Drawing board



Feb. 21, 1933. F. w. WlLHELM DRAWING BOARD Filed May 11 1929 INVENTOR. BY ZM M ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANZ WALTER WILHELM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS DRAWING BOARD Application filed May ll, 1929. Serial No. 362,257.

a combined table and drawing-board structure that shall permit the selective use of the'table and the board, each substantially in the ordinary way, free from interference by the other. I v V Another object of my invention is to facilitate the work of an operator, such as a draftsman, an artist and the like, by providing him with a structure which he can readily convert, from a standing or sitting position in front thereof, from a table or desk, to a drawing board and back again, in substantially a minimum of time and with substantially a minimum of effort. 7 v

Another object of my invention is to provide a combined table and drawing-board structure that shall greatly conserve the space normally occupied by separate table and drawing-board structures of certain types. I

Another object of my invention is toprovide a combined table and drawing-board structure in which the board shall be movable relative to the table and be held in any position to which it may be so moved.

Another object of my invention is to pro: vide a drawing board structure that shall embody a support and a drawing-board that shall be movable relative to the support in a plane at a fixed angle thereto. A further object of my invention isto provide a combined table and drawing-boardstructure that shall be simple and durable'in construction, economical to manufacture and effective in its operation.

WVith such objects in view, as well as other advantages which may be incident to the utilization of the improvement, the invention consists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed, with theunderstanding that the several necessary elements constituting the same maybe varied in proportion, arrangement and material without departing from the nature and scope of the invention.

Heretofore, it has been usual for draftsmen, artists and the like, in employing small, lightweight drawing-boards, up to two or three square feet in area, to rest the same on or against tables or desks; such boards being readily portable and capable of placing in any desired position. However wherethe larger and heavier drawlug-boards are employed, it has been usual either to provide the same with underside cleats or supports for resting on a table, or with special understructin'es solely for supporting the board.

Where a large drawing board is comparable'in size to the table on which it is sup- 7 ported, the top of the latter is normally of not much use other than as a support for the board, so that, where the operator also requires a table or a desk, two structures of relatively large size are required. This fact is also true where the drawing-board is mounted on a special supportand the operator has need for atable or desk.

Accordingly, in practicing my invention, I provide a table or desk and a drawing-board that are so combined, as a unit, as to permit the same tooccupy greatly reduced floor space, The board is so adjustable relative to the table as to permit the operator to readily transform the structure from a condition, in which he may sit or stand at one position in front of a freely usable drawing-board, to a condition, in which he has before him anordinary table or desk for use as such, substantially free from interference by the board. The transformation may be effected back and forth between these conditions almost'instantly and with very little effort, so that the operator need have no hesitancy about making it.

In order to make the invention more clear- 1 ly understood, means are shown in the accompanyingdrawing for carryingthe same into practical eflect without limiting the improvements in their useful application, to the particular constructions which, for the purpose Fig. 2 is a front view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

In order to support a drawing board in the desired upright position two frames are needed, but since the frames are duplicates, it is necessary to describe only one of them.

Each frame has a base member 5, which is adapted to be suitably secured to a table 6 or the like, as by means of screws 7. he base member is preferably arranged on the table so that the forward end thereof terminates at the forward edge of the table. An upright bar 8 is secured, as by welding, to the member 5 adjacent to the rear end thereof. From the forward end of the base member, a supporting bar 9 extends upwardly and rearwardly, and is preferably arranged so that it extends at an angle of approximately 18 to the base member.

The member 9 is suitably secured to the base member 5, as by welding, the upper surface of the inclined member extending over the forward edge of the base member 5. A cross piece 10 is secured to the inclined member 9 and to the upright member 8.

A pair of such frames are secured to the table 6 adjacent to the ends thereof, as in dicated in Fig. 2. A horizontal shaft 11 extends through the cross pieces 10 and the ends of the shaft 11 are threaded in order to receive adjusting nuts 12, by which the shaft may be held in position. Sheaves 13 are rotatably mounted on the shaft adjacent to the ends thereof, and cotter pins 14 provided to hold the sheaves in position. A drawing board of usual character is mounted on the inclined members 9 and is provided with underside reinforcing bars located between, and adjacent to, the inner side surfaces of the inclined members 9. The reinforcing bars serve as guides for the drawing board and prevent sideward movement thereof relative to the frames. Adjacent to each of the side edges of the drawing board, an eyebolt or shackle 15 is secured to the rear side of the drawing board and cables 16 or the like, are each attached at one end to said eyes. The cables extend, from the eyes 15, over the sheaves 13 to counterweights 17 that are secured to the other ends of the cables. The counterweights 17 balance the weight of the drawing board, so that the board may be slidably moved upwardly and downwardly on the inclined frame members 9, and held at any desired height.

A draftsman, working at the board, may sit upright and is not required to stoop forwardly and downwardly, as is usual with drawing boards of ordinary type.

It is easier for a draftsman to work and finish a drawing of comparatively great dimensions by simply moving the drawing board into a position where he can readily reach substantially all parts of the drawing paper on the board.

When it is desired to operate the structure as a drawing-board, the board may be adjusted quickly and with slight effort to any position in its path of movement. Thus, an operator, either sitting or standing in front of the structure, may move the board to any position most convenient to him, in accordonce with the part of the board on which he may be working.

While sitting, the operator may lower the board to a position in which the bottom edge of the board is on his lap and upwardly therefrom, as occasion demands, to any position, or to a position in which the bottom edge of the board is well above the table. In the latter position of the board, the top of the table or desk is presented to the operator substantially as in the case of an ordinary table, so that, by slight effort, the structure may be quickly converted to the one form or the other.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a desk or table having a working top surface, a drawing-board support attached to said desk or table, a drawing board mounted on said support for adjustable movement relative to said desk or table top at a fixed angle thereto from a position in which the bottom of said board is below said top to a position in which said bottom is sufficiently above said top to permit working on said desk, and means ineluding a counterbalancing device for maintaining said board in adjusted position.

2. In combination, a desk or table having a working top surface and leg room beneath one side of said desk or table, a drawing-board support attached to said desk or table, a drawing board mounted on said support facing said side for adjustable movement relative to said desk or table top to any one of several positions whereby an operator at said side may conveniently work either on said board or on said top surface, said positions of the board lying between a position adjacent to a sitting operators lap and a raised position sufficiently above said top to permit said working on said desk, and means including a counter-balancing device for maintaining said board in adjusted position.

3. In combination, a desk or table having a working top surface, a drawing-board support including a guide attached to said desk or table at a fixed angle thereto, a drawing board mounted on said support for adjustable movement on said guide relative to said desk or table from a position in which the bottom of said board is below said top to a position in which said bottom is sufficiently above said top to permit working on said desk, and means including a counterbalancing device for maintaining said board in adjusted position.

a. In combination, a desk or table having a working top surface, a drawing-board support including uprights disposed one adjacent to each side of the desk or table rearwardly from the front thereof and guides on the uprights for holding a drawing board at. a fixed angle to said desk or table facing the front thereof, a drawing board mounted on said guides for adjustable movement relative to said desk or table from a position in which the bottom of said board is below said top to a position in which said bottom is sufficiently above said top to permit working on said desk or table, and means including a counterbalancing device for maintaining said board in adjusted position.

5. A device for a desk or table having a working top surface and leg room beneath one side of said desk or table said device comprising a drawing-board support for mounting on said desk or table a drawing board mounted on said support to face said side for adjustable movement relative to said desk or table top to any one of several posifions whereby an operator at said side may conveniently work either on said board or on said top surface, said positions of the board lying between a position adjacent to a sitting operators lap and a raised position sufficiently above said top to" permit working on said desk, and means including a counterbalancing device for maintaining said board in adjusted position.

In witness whereof I afiix my signature.

F. WALTER WILHELM. 

